Report on the Parchment Festival

Now that I have recovered from our fabulous festival I can write this little report.
I have had the most exhilerating and fun 3 days that I have had for some time.
Debs arrived on Thursday, late afternoon. Plenty of time for chat and a leisurely supper before we checked and rechecked everything we needed for the workshops on Friday. Our first workshop was with Kanny using colour pencils on black parchment. We learned how to use transfer paper and how to use white pencil as the base before going on to use layers of colour to create the most beautiful flowers. Orchids on this occasion. Kanny is soooooo talented. Her work is awesome and she is such a delightful person as well.
The afternoon session was with Dorothy Holness. I have had the privilege of having lessons with Dorothy before and I knew that I was going to enjoy every moment. Our project was to trace the image (flowers) with pen and ink and then colour using polychromos pencils on the back and the front. Then to emboss parts of the flowers to show shading and then bring it all to life. I have nearly finished this project and will post it when I have completed it. I must admit to being pleased with what I have done so far on this one and felt more at home with this kind of project. We don't all like the same disciplines and this was more in my comfort zone.

The Festival itself was on Saturday and we had a ball. I can't remember when I last talked so much about anything and everything parchment and other stuff. I met so many lovely people and we talked about how to do crosses, use a star tool, make flowers, removing greasy marks from parchment and even down to exactly which hand cream I use which doesn't mark the paper and where I get my tool stands from. So much I can't remember it all. Many of the show goers were ladies (and gentlemen) that I have met at previous shows and it was like seeing old friends again.

The second day of workshops was on Sunday. The first was with Tina Cox and she was as enthusiastic and as bubbly as ever. We learned so much abouting painting techniques on parchment using mostly felt tip pens and a very fine brush. My picture is almost finished but then there is a gorgeous grid border frame to be done before it is all finished and that may take me some time.
The last workshop was taken by Dorothy again who was standing in for Linda Williams who sadly couldn't make it at the last minute. Dorothy did a magnificent job of teaching someone elses designs and project which just goes to show how talented our designers are.
This project was awesome and I really - for the first time - felt that I was getting somewhere with my colouring on parchment. I am including a scan of the image at it's current stage but there is so much more to do. You really do learn patience in this craft along with all the other techniques.

There are several more stages to go through on this including adjusting the colouring on the face, and this is before attempting the border and finishing touches. The work is still attached to the pattern.